A priest goes before the altar and prostrates himself before it and says, “I am nothing before you God.” A rich man comes in after him, prostrates himself before the altar and says, “I am nothing before you God.” A beggar comes off the street and prostrates himself before the altar and says, “I am nothing before you God.”
The rich man then whispers to the priest, “Look who thinks HE’S nothing.”
As a corollary of this, the beggar could countersignal humility (contrary to your claim that it can’t be done) by prostrating himself before the altar but not saying anything out loud.
You signal humility by refraining from signalling arrogance when other people in the same situation would likely do so. (What Pope Francis seems to want to appear to be doing, essentially.)
You can barely signal humility, though.
A priest goes before the altar and prostrates himself before it and says, “I am nothing before you God.” A rich man comes in after him, prostrates himself before the altar and says, “I am nothing before you God.” A beggar comes off the street and prostrates himself before the altar and says, “I am nothing before you God.”
The rich man then whispers to the priest, “Look who thinks HE’S nothing.”
As a corollary of this, the beggar could countersignal humility (contrary to your claim that it can’t be done) by prostrating himself before the altar but not saying anything out loud.
You signal humility by refraining from signalling arrogance when other people in the same situation would likely do so. (What Pope Francis seems to want to appear to be doing, essentially.)